Voting Process or Campaigns - CDU secures the highest number of votes in Saarland's European polls.
The CDU emerged as the most powerful faction during the Saarland European election. According to the initial official results revealed on Sunday, the Christian Democrats garnered 29.3% of the votes – a decrease of 3.2 percentage points compared to the previous European election held in 2019. The governing SPD received 20.5% of the ballots, a reduction of 2.6 percentage points, while the third strongest force was the AfD with 15.7% (up 6.0 percentage points). The recent European elections in Saarland serve as a gauge for the political climate.
The Green party suffered a notable setback with 6.6% of the votes, down by 6.6 percentage points, while the FDP, which currently lacks representation in the Saarland state legislature, received 4.7% (up by 1.0). The new "Alliance Wagenknecht" gained considerable traction with 7.9%, significantly outperforming its federal result.
For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds were permitted to participate in the European election. Hitherto, diplomat Manuela Ripa (Ecological-Democratic Party) was Saarland's sole representative in the European Parliament. Her re-election status was initially uncertain. Saarland witnessed a voter turnout of 67.9%, an increase of 1.6 percentage points.
In the previous European election of 2019, the CDU received 32.5% of the votes, the SPD captured 23.1%, the CDU clinched 34.0% in the municipal election, and the SPD amassed 30.0%.
Nearly 800,000 residents in Saarland were summoned to cast their ballots in the local council, mayor, mayoral, and district council elections. In the three mayoral races of Völklingen, Saarlouis, and Homburg, none of the candidates managed to secure the absolute majority required. The results of the municipal elections are anticipated on Monday. The minimum age limit for voting in the local elections continues at 18 years.
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The EU Parliament will welcome a new representative from Saarland, as Manuela Ripa's re-election status became clearer following the European elections. Despite the CDU securing the highest number of votes in Saarland's European polls, the final result showed a decrease for the party in the European Parliamentary elections. The green party, represented by Alliance 90/The Greens, faced a significant setback in these elections, with other parties like the SPD, AfD, and the newly formed Alliance Wagenknecht also experiencing changes in their vote counts. The FDP, currently absent from the Saarland state legislature, saw a slight increase in votes, while the voter turnout in Saarland increased by 1.6 percentage points. In contrast, the local elections in Saarland will be held on Monday, with residents aged 18 and above eligible to vote, just like they do in EU Parliamentary elections.
